Kelcie + Arndt's intimate elopement

How did you meet your partner? Through friends at uni. He was in the same class as one of my roommates.

How long have you been together? 14 years this year (so, in reality, we were already married!)

Do you have a proposal story? We got engaged on the island of Hvar in Croatia. We were attending a music event and he secretly recruited a group of random travelers (who are now friends) to help him pop the question by holding up a banner with ‘Kelcie will you marry me’ written on it. It was a total surprise and I ugly cried like Kim Kardashian in front of 5000 people. He got me good!

To me, the best part of the story is actually the year he spent planning the proposal and designing the ring beforehand. He’s a bit romantic.

What made you choose there? We told Britt and Josh from the Elopement Collective that we wanted to be outdoors, that we loved Northern NSW but weren’t keen on Byron. They said, “we know just the place”. We looked at photos and fell in love immediately. We decided not to visit the location though. We wanted it to be a surprise for us on the day .... and that it was!

How did you find it? All by recommendation. You know how sometimes you just trust people? Well, that was how it was for us with Britt and Josh. 10/10 would recommend!

Reception

Location? Also at Mavis’ Kitchen and Cabins. Super informal but loads of fun. Our small group of 14 played Finska on the garden lawn over canapes and bubbles and then moved into the restaurant for a banquet dinner paired with beautiful organic wine. The restaurant staff were such gracious hosts and put up with our laughing and nonsense. After dinner, we continued the celebrations on the balcony of the Farmhouse and shared cheese platters made by my mum.

What made you choose there? We had never actually eaten at Mavis’s before but the menus were incredible and the support we received from their staff to plan our dinner was top notch. We had zero worries that it would be anything other than spectacular – and it was!

How was the weather on the day? Not a cloud in the sky! So lucky – the next day was boiling hot and then it stormed for the rest of the week.

Was there a reason you decided to get married on this date? Not really. We wanted September for the weather in that region and we wanted a mid-week date.

What were your favourite parts of the day? For both of us, it was driving to the ceremony location together and then walking up the hill toward our guests, so much emotion.

The Wedding Details

Theme? We didn’t have a theme at all. The location spoke for itself.

Where did you draw your inspiration/ideas from? It sounds a bit 'trendy' but we really just wanted wedding minimalism. We wanted the people, the ceremony itself and the venue to be the main attractions.

Were any aspects of your wedding D.I.Y? If so What? We decorated the long table on the Farmhouse balcony and that was it! My best friend also gifted us her Polaroid camera and made a photo book of all the pics taken during the day/night with personal messages from our guests. It’s something I didn’t even think about doing but now that we have it, it has so much value. The perfect gift.

Tell us about your wedding flowers. Amey from Perfect Party Co was the brains behind the blooms. I just love her. We met in person and instantly clicked. I shared some Pinterest inspiration with her and let her run wild to weave her magic. I was absolutely blown away by what she created - what a talent!

Tell us about your wedding cake.Mavis’s Kitchen took care of that! We had an amazing baked cheesecake with raspberry sauce.

Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions? My mum gave me her wedding band which has blue sapphires init (something blue) and my Dad surprised us by reading a poem which was really touching.

What made you decide to come into Karen Willis Holmes? Karen Willis Holmes gowns are modern and elegant.

Where have you seen our gowns (if at all) before? I have walked past Karen Willis Holmes many times and a girlfriend of mine purchased her dress at Karen Willis Holmes dress a few years before.

How many gowns did you try? Only a handful. As soon as I tried Anya I knew it was the one. Perfect fit!

Where did you purchase your gown from (which store or stockist)? Karen Willis Holmes - Sydney.

What did you especially like about your gown? Everything! It’s just so beautiful. The way it fits and shines in the light. The texture of the gown in photos is stunning also. Even in low light, it came up a dream.

Fashion

Where did you get the groom and groomsmen’s suits? Arndt wore one of his own suits. I actually didn’t know what he was going to be wearing on the day - it was a total surprise. I loved that he went with a light blue shirt and a white pocket square. He has immaculate taste!

What accessories did you choose to finish your gown and also for those in your bridal party? I wanted the gown to be the star of the show. The only accessories I wore were bright emerald earrings from Molten Store. I thought they would go beautifully with our outdoor backdrop and compliment my hair colour.

Where did you get your shoes from? Mode Collection. They were actually on sale for $70 reduced from $280! They had a great block heel which was crucial given our outdoor ceremony. There was no way I was sinking into the grass! I could also run in them which turned out to be very handy as we were traipsing through fields and running down highways for our photos/film.

Other

What advice would you give brides organising their wedding? This was advice that was given to me by my photographer Morgan Roberts. I was a bit flustered about what to do with the dress for photos. Silly because I hadn’t stressed about anything up until that point! He said to me “You’re the bride and you can do whatever you want”. It was like a lightbulb moment for me so now my advice to other brides is: It’s your day. You don’t have to do what is expected or what you’ve seen done at other weddings or in magazines. Trust your gut and don’t get too caught up in the details. Leave room for surprise. You want to experience your day and enjoy it not be feeling like you know it inside out.

Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip? We wanted our closest friends, a beautiful location and simplicity. We didn’t want any fluff. We splurged on jewellery, opened the restaurant privately to host us for dinner and had film in addition to photography. If I had my time again I may have invested in a longer film but absolutely happy with what we have. - by happy, I mean slightly obsessed.

What advice would you give brides searching for their wedding gown? Pick something you love and feel a million bucks in. Don’t pay too much attention to trends.

Something Blue? My mum gave me her blue sapphire wedding band which wore on my right hand.